The present invention relates to a call-reception informing apparatus for a mobile communication apparatus such as a mobile phone or a radio communication device.
A communication apparatus like a mobile phone has a function to inform call-reception by means of sound and/or vibration.
As a typical example of such an informing function, for example, xe2x80x9ca vibrator and a mobile communication apparatus using the samexe2x80x9d are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-19590.
As shown in FIG. 1 of the publication, this mobile communication apparatus includes a fixed part 2, a first vibrant body 10 which comprises a permanent magnet 7 and yokes 8, 9, is supported by a first spring 6 attached to the fixed part 2 and has a resonance frequency fo, and a second vibrant body 14 which is supported by a second spring 12 attached to the fixed part 2 and has a coil 13 set in a magnetic gap 11 formed by the yokes 8, 9. The apparatus performs an informing function with vibration when a signal of the frequency fo is sent to the coil 13 and works as a receiving speaker or a call-tone receiver when a voice band signal or a call-tone signal is sent to the coil 13.
As a similar mobile communication apparatus, an electromagnetic induction type converter described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. Hei 05-85192 or the like is known.
The mobile communication apparatus includes a magnetic gap formed in each magnetic circuit comprising a magnet made of a permanent magnet (hereinafter referred to as magnet) and a yoke, and a voice coil with one end fixed to a diaphragm in the magnetic gap, and generates sound or vibration depending on frequency of input signals sent to the voice coil. Because of that, one vibrant body (for sound) needs to have enough rigidity so as not to resonate with another vibrant body (for vibration). Therefore, the resonance frequency of one vibrant body (for sound) needs to be set higher than that of another vibrant body (for vibration). This inconveniently restricts the lower limit of reproduction frequency for the receiving speaker.
When the vibration for informing call-reception is generated, the voice coil of one vibrant body (for sound) is inputted with a signal of a resonance frequency (near 100 Hz) of another vibrant body (for vibration), whereby another vibrant body (for vibration) is vibrated. However, since the rigidity of the one vibrant body (for sound) is not high enough, sound wave (incidental sound) is undesiredly generated, which makes xe2x80x9csilent modexe2x80x9d (mode of informing only with vibration) fail to deserve its name.
The mobile phone equipped with a vibration motor and a buzzer separately can generate vibration and sound wave simultaneously for the call-reception informing function. However, since conventional technology uses only one voice coil, the function has not been performed effectively enough.
In view of such a current situation, the present invention seeks to provide a mobile communication apparatus with an informing apparatus which includes two magnetic gaps formed in a magnetic circuit including a magnet made of a permanent magnet and a yoke, and a voice coil respectively set in each magnetic gap. One voice coil is used for sound or call-tone, and another voice coil for vibration. This enables the mobile communication apparatus to be used in the silent mode without limitation on resonance frequency.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide the informing apparatus of the mobile communication apparatus with a function to control the vibration level by vibrating a weight (vibrated body) using the voice coil for vibration, and by selecting the size of the weight.
To achieve the objective, the invention according to a first aspect of the present invention constitutes an informing apparatus for a mobile communication apparatus, which is characterized in that:
two magnetic gaps are formed in a magnetic circuit of internal magnet type or external magnet type;
a voice coil is respectively set in each magnetic gap;
a first vibrant part includes one voice coil connected to a diaphragm; and
a second vibrant part includes another voice coil connected via supporters to a casing set outside the magnetic circuit, the supporters and the magnetic circuit; wherein
a sound receiving function and/or a call-tone receiving function which operates with a sound signal and/or a call-tone signal sent to the voice coil in the first vibrant part, and a call-reception informing function which makes the supporters and the magnetic circuit vibrate with a call-reception signal sent to the voice coil in the second vibrant part whereby the mobile communication apparatus itself resonates are adapted to work independently of each other.
The invention according to a second aspect of the present invention constitutes an informing apparatus for a mobile communication apparatus, which is characterized in that:
two magnetic gaps are formed in a magnetic circuit of internal magnet type or external magnet type;
a voice coil is set in each magnetic gap;
a first vibrant part includes one voice coil connected to a diaphragm; and
a second vibrant part includes another voice coil fixed to a supporting spring set in the magnetic circuit and having a weight at each of both ends thereof, the magnetic circuit having the supporting spring, and the weights; wherein
a sound receiving function and/or a call-tone receiving function which operates with a sound signal and/or a call-tone signal sent to the voice coil in the first vibrant part, and a call-reception informing function which makes the weights and the magnetic circuit vibrate with a call-reception signal sent to the voice coil in the second vibrant part whereby the mobile communication apparatus itself resonates are adapted to work independently of each other.